


The Bloodstained Key

by Raven_Song



Series: Gotham Fairy Tales [4]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bluebeard Elements, Bluebeard Inspired, Canon Compliant Until Season 4, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Edward Nygma is a drama queen, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Endings, Isabellaaaaah, M/M, Oswald Cobblepot is patient, Resurrection, Reunions, Riddler gets called Other-Ed, Riddler is sassy, endgame Nygmobblepot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-03 16:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17287916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_Song/pseuds/Raven_Song
Summary: Edward Nygma has the worst luck in relationships. Every time he gets close to a woman he loves, a horrible accident befalls her and the Riddler is there to pick up the pieces. What Ed doesn't know is that the Riddler is protecting a secret, one Edward locked in a secret place in his mind when he was just a child. All Ed has to do is finally open the door.Bluebeard Inspired fic.





	1. Kristen

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first multi-chapter fic! I hope you enjoy is as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you haven't read Bluebeard, I highly recommend as it is one of my favorite fairy tales.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always welcome!

The GCPD precinct looked like a church. The riveted three-point arches reminded Edward of the large cathedral down the road. If he suspended his disbelief, the old patched window could be a stained glass piece without color. If you squinted the rivulets could look like Gothic patterns, Ed supposed. The raised platform in front of Barnes’ office was the altar, fenced off by cold iron railings. The desks in the bullpen were the pews, and the god they worshipped was truth or greed. The gargoyle that always looked down on them was some unholy angel. A twisted dark angel in a twisted dark city. There were few true angels in Gotham. Most people had already been corrupted by the city’s darkness. 

And in the center of it all, Edward Nygma was standing in the middle of the bullpen craning his neck to take in the full scale of the dark church where he worked.

“Edward,” the sweet voice dragged him out of his reverie. 

“Hm? Yes?” He looked back down at the woman in front of him. Kristen sighed a little, her ponytail swishing as she shook her head. The light caught on her glasses, flashing the lenses blue for a moment. Astounding, the things those glasses could do to a man. It made no sense; Ed wore glasses himself, but something about Kristen’s glasses was different. Perhaps it was his love for her, or maybe they were just very suited to her. Ed would have to ask her about it at some point.

“I was asking if we’re still on for dinner. We are still on for dinner, right?” She hugged her files closer to her chest, apprehension entangled with her body language, shoes gently scuffing the ground as she shifted her weight. A smile warmed Ed’s face.

“Of course. I promise it will be a night you won’t forget.” 

“Good. I look forward to it. Good day, Mr. Nygma.” He let her pass him, catching a waft of her perfume. Jasmine. She couldn’t be more perfect. Even his other half, the secret half, was on his best behavior today. Nothing could ruin this night for Ed.

 

“Listen to me!” Ed clapped a hand over Kristen’s mouth. She couldn’t leave him. If she just listened, he could explain it all. “I am not the man you think I am. I would never do anything to hurt you.” His hand wrapped around her throat, tightening with emphasis. “I had to kill him. Because he hit you. Do you understand that? I did it _for_ you.” Her glasses glowed from the neon light outside of his window. “I promise I will never do anything to hurt you ever again. I love you. I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you!” He beamed at her, letting his hand fall down to his side. 

Something was wrong.

Her head tilted to the side, the shine on her lenses disappeared and behind them her eyes were empty. 

“Kristen?” Ed’s heart dropped as Kristen’s body slid down the door of his apartment. _No, no, no, no!_ This can’t be happening to him. Her eyes stared off, vacant. No pulse, no breath. No nothing. Words fell from his lips, pleas and prayers. _This can’t be happening to him._

“Please! Please no.” Ed cradled her, chest pressed against her back. This can’t be real. He pressed a kiss to her temple, the sobs shaking their way loose. He loved her. Kristen couldn’t be dead. But the heat was fading from her limbs. All he had wanted was for her to understand why he killed Dougherty. But he had been too forceful. Too strong. And now she was…

Ed screamed, rocking back and forth still cradling her body. Not real. Tears blurred his vision, but something else was welling up in him. It was a tidal wave, black and suffocating. He was slipping away too.

A dark figure loomed over him. Ed’s eyes couldn’t focus on it. There were too many tears, too much darkness. _She’s dead._ Edward shook his head, struggling for air between his sobs. The figure grew closer, kneeling down in front of him. The other-Ed had only ever shown up in mirrors before. Yet here he was in the flesh, dapper and calm and _leering._

“She’s dead, Ed. You killed her.” The hallucination looked extremely pleased at his other half’s pain.

“No, no I didn’t m-mean to.” The other-Ed trailed his fingers over Kristen’s neck. Bruises were blooming on her skin like flowers.

“Doesn’t matter. She died because of you. And it felt good, didn’t it? You feel stronger.” Ed blinked, cradling Kristen tighter. Other-Ed was still stroking her. He shouldn’t do that. 

“Don’t touch her!” The other-Ed withdrew his hand, a crocodile smile on his face.

“You didn’t need her, Ed. She was making you weak. Soft.” The voice buzzed in his head. It was coming from multiple directions, fading in and out like old speakers. Ed’s ears were ringing. Was it the hallucination? Or was he really just losing his mind? He had to focus.

“No. I loved her.”

“You loved the idea of her,” Other-Ed snarled. “Kristen was never going to love you. She thought you were odd. A freak.”

“Don’t.”

“She called you a psychopath, and she was probably right. You killed her boyfriend, Ed. Stabbed him. You remember that night, don’t you? It was cold. The blood on your hands, the feel of the knife cutting into him.” Ed swiped at his eyes angrily.

“That was an accident! He pulled me-”

“Maybe the first stab was, but the next ten?” Other-Ed chuckled darkly. “That was all you.” He craned his head, looking Ed in the eyes. “Admit it, Eddie. There’s darkness in you. It’s been there all your life. You’ve just been too afraid to give in. And now you have.”

“Please, I’m a g-good man.” Ed sobbed into Kristen’s hair and the other-Ed laughed.

“That is a _lie,_ Ed, and we both know it. I am you, remember? Your dark impulses, you deepest desires. I’m the strong one. You can’t get rid of me, buddy. I’m a part of you. And I know how much you liked it, even if you’re too boo-hooey to accept the truth.” He leaned in, the green neon striking him and making his features elongate into something entirely alien. Ed flinched away, half expecting breath to puff on his face. Nothing happened. “You’re a murderer, Eddie. And it feels good.”

“N-no, I’m not a bad-” Ed whined, stroking Kristen’s hair. “Leave me alone.”

“With the corpse of your girlfriend? Yeah, pass.” Other-Ed stood, adjusting his suit. When had he been wearing a suit? “You’re not strong enough for this yet. Go to sleep, Eddie. I’ll take care of all of this.” Ed felt a wave of blistering exhaustion sweep through him. His eyelids were drooping on their own. Something glittered in other-Ed’s hand. Ed blinked, desperately fighting sleep. It was in the moment before sleep overtook him that he realized what the object was.

Ed’s vision faded to black and the apparition disappeared. With Ed out of the way, it was easy for Other-Ed to take control of their body.

 

Other-Ed opened his eyes. “Finally.” He flexed his hands and revelled at the sensation. He was in control now. The dark chuckle that rumbled out was masked by Kristen’s hair, which he brushed from his face in annoyance. No time for that. What did Ed see in this girl, anyway? The most interesting thing she’d done was try to escape him and smash a glass into his head. Shaking his head, Other-Ed set Kristen’s body down on the ground, pausing only to pluck her glasses from her face before stepping over her corpse and going to his closet. He had business to take care of. 

He pulled out an outfit, throwing it onto the bed behind him. The body couldn’t stay in the apartment, clearly, and Ed was too emotional to deal with it properly. Other-Ed needed to lock away those emotions, trapping them in the room within their mind constructed for this exact situation. Despite his intelligence, Ed wasn’t ready to see the room yet. Other-Ed had to keep that key close. One day Ed would be ready to accept that part of himself, but not today.

With mechanical precision, Other-Ed dressed them and found a large black garbage bag and some duct tape. He loaded Kristen’s body into it, taping the bottom shut. The last time Ed had killed, the trunk was a decent enough way to transport a corpse into the GCPD without drawing too much attention. Other-Ed bet it would work again.

After all, he had to prepare Ed for what was in the secret room. To do that, Ed would have to find the key. A key which was soaked in Kristen’s blood. She was a necessary sacrifice. One day Ed would understand why Other-Ed did this. And when he did, Other-Ed would finally be free.


	2. Isabella

Unlocking the door to Isabella’s apartment, Ed hesitated before entering. It looked almost empty, lit only by the harsh neon light that poured through the windows like an emerald waterfall. Light spilled out of the doorway, green pooling around his feet. Ed shuffled his feet, unsure. He had just sent his best friend to break up with Isabella for him. He had no idea how she took it. What if she asked him here to yell at him? He called out to her, his hesitation audible in every word that tripped haltingly over his tongue.

“I can be late, Edward. This is more important.” She didn’t sound like herself at all. Ed stepped further into the room, adjusting his suit jacket with fitful fingers.

“Oswald-” he cleared his throat. “Oswald. The mayor, he informed me of your position. Um-” Ed folded his hands in front of himself. “But I believe our breaking up is for the best.”

“No, Edward. It’s not.” Isabella’s voice drifted out of the room, confident. “I understand your fear. It comes from a place of love. I know you won’t hurt me. You never could.” The door opened. 

“I don’t think that you-” Ed gasped at what he saw standing in the doorway. A ghost, _Kristen’s_ ghost stared back at him. Ed’s pulse skyrocketed, his brain going into overdrive when he saw her. “Oh my. Kristen?” She stepped forward and Ed put his hands up.

“I found old photos in newspapers. You have to-” Ed interrupted her, heart pounding and his mind racing. This was very, very bad.

“I need to leave. Now.” Ed turned to run out the door but Kristen- _Isabella_ stopped him, grabbing his shoulders and blocking his only escape route. Ed was panicking now. He was trapped with his ex-girlfriend. The one he killed. He had to get out, this wasn’t right. 

“No, no, look at me. Look at me!” Her grip on him was like steel. He couldn’t pull away from her. 

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Ed told her. Pain erupted across his cheek. She had slapped him across the face, _hard_. Her hands moved up to his neck, holding his head still so Ed had no choice but to look directly into her eyes. No, he couldn’t. Ed squeezed his eyes shut, willing the apparition to go away.

“I am forcing you to face your fear. You won’t hurt me, even when I look like this. Edward!” He breathed softly and opened his eyes when she said his name. The woman in front of him wasn’t his dead girlfriend. She was alive. Isabella and Kristen were different people. He couldn’t kill her. 

Isabella took a deep breath and reached for his hand, which was holding her waist. Ed hadn’t even realized he was holding onto her. He had just needed something stable. Isabella peeled his hand away, raising it until it was level with her neck. Recognition flashed as Ed watched her move in slow motion, dragging his hand toward her.

Oh god.

Isabella pulled Ed’s hand toward her neck, forcing him to grab her. “No,” Ed pleaded softly. “No, no don’t. No-” she shushed him, grip impossibly tight as Ed’s hand made contact with the fragile skin of her throat. Something washed over Ed, a wave of strange calm at odds with his frantic brain. 

He watched his fingers tighten. Watched the tendons in Kristen’s neck bulge from strain as he increased the pressure. A hunger rose up inside of Ed. It was the wild, volatile hunger that comes from years of deprivation. He needed this. He craved this. Satisfaction flashed deep within his mind as Ed stared at Kristen’s neck, squeezing tighter and tighter…

“Edward.” He blinked, meeting her eyes. Fear flashed in Isabella’s eyes, breaking the spell that had entranced him into choking her. Ed leaned forward, blood pounding with adrenaline and kissed Isabella with all of the intensity in his body. They broke apart, breathless. Isabella looked up at him with palpable relief. “Should I take the glasses off?”

“Keep ‘em on,” he told her, pulling her closer to kiss her again, lifting Isabella off of the ground to wrap her legs around his waist.

 

Inside of their mind, Other-Ed screamed. He felt sick. This was all wrong. Ed wasn’t supposed to fall for this librarian. He needed to break out, to explain to his idiotic other half why he was making the worst decision of his life. Other pushed at his outer half, but Ed wasn’t listening. He was preoccupied with-

Oh, disgusting. Other shuddered, feeling like he had just bathed in a swamp. Since Ed was… _busy_ he had to find other ways to ignore what was happening. There was only one place in their mind that was safe from Ed’s emotions tearing down all of Other’s careful work: the secret room at the back of their mind where Ed was afraid to go. 

Other sighed heavily, finding the bloodied key he had hidden from Ed and went to the hidden room. Once he was inside, he would be safe from any external distractions. He flopped to the floor, holding his head in his hands. It was going to be some time before it was safe to emerge from his hiding place, so he’d better get comfortable and plot.

Examining the past weeks, it had all seemed like it was going according to plan. Other really thought it was going to happen this time. Everything was set up exquisitely: he couldn’t have planned the sequence of events better himself. Oswald had broken them out of Arkham, instilling that deep trust with Ed. They had helped Oswald win his mayoral race, proving to him that the people loved him and wanted him as mayor. 

Getting promoted to Chief of Staff was unexpected, but not entirely unwanted. And they had stepped into the role flawlessly, Other thought. They kept the criminal and the mayor separate, organizing Oswald’s work into his two lives for peak efficiency. And Penguin clearly appreciated the effort. The little bird was always saying how much he relied on Ed, how much Ed’s friendship meant to him. If Ed had seen what was in the hidden room, he might’ve realized what was right in front of him and not fallen for the doe-eyed librarian. But he was as clueless as ever, leaving Other to fume alone in silence as he made the wrong decision yet again.

It was so frustrating, being the smarter half and also the one who lacked the finesse to control them all the time. Ed might be fairly useless, but he was a far better pilot than Other, much as he hated to admit it. It meant Other was always the one shunted aside until something traumatic happened and he had to take control. It had been that way since childhood; Other would step in to shield Ed from the rage of a cruel father. Other had nearly broken through when that woman slapped them. But he wasn’t strong enough to fight for control when Ed was so desperate for love.

What would Oswald say when he found out that they didn’t break up with Isabella? He would probably fly into one of his famous rages, the kind where he would scream until he was gasping for air. It wouldn’t be pretty. But if Other knew Oswald, which he did, then the clever bird had probably already found a way to end this unfortunate romance. 

He wouldn’t do the deed himself, of course. Oswald was smarter than that. He’d send one of his men to do it in his stead and keep his hands clean of the blood. It would look like an accident. The perfect situation to break Ed’s heart and push him into the Penguin’s waiting arms. If Ed had been able to go through with the break up Other would’ve warned him that Oswald was trying to protect him from the horrible truth, but that was pointless now. Better to let it all happen.

Other leaned back, a grin growing on his face. He just had to wait it out. Sooner or later Ed would find the key and realize the truth. When that day came, Other would be ready to fully integrate with his other half. They would be whole for the first time in decades. That day would be beautiful. Other and Ed would become unstoppable. Only Oswald could help them find their true potential. For now, Other had to be patient. He sang a song to himself, that cat-like grin growing wider. 

“He’s fierce in my dreams, seizing my guts,” Other sang in his low voice. “He floats me with dread. Soaked in soul, he swims in my eyes by the bed. Pour myself over him, moon spilling in. And I wake up alone.” Other laughed in the hidden room, leaning back. Soon Ed would find the key. Soon Other would be free. And they would glisten and glitter all over Gotham.


	3. Lee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Jeremiah Valeska's attacks on Gotham, Lee Thompkins is fully prepared to stay behind to help her people. But Riddler has finally broken free of Edward's emotions and is prepared to end the Doc. As events unfold and time runs out, Riddler guides Ed to the truth of what is in the secret room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Hopefully I can get the last chapter out by the end of the day Pacific Time. As always, kudos and comments are welcome!

Lee took a long swig of whiskey, gazing out the windows of what was once Cherry’s fight club. The coat that clung to her slender shoulders was billowing blue, a garment suited to the new queen of the Narrows. But heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Doctor Lee Thompkins was no exception; her problems had tripled overnight.

The news of Valeska’s recent attacks on the city weighed heavily on her shoulders, and Riddler could see the cogs in her mind turning from across the room. She was already planning relief efforts for her subjects, working out deals with those she could pay for the food and medication her people would need. Why the Doc cared so much about a bunch of nobodies, Riddler would never understand. He folded his hands behind his back, turning over the object in his hands methodically. The metal cold against his skin. It would ruin everything if he got over enthusiastic and jumped the gun.

After the incident with Jim Gordon, Riddler was unsure of where he stood with Lee. Of course, he knew she had kissed the idiotic policeman. The former fight club had plenty of hiding places where Ed could spy on Lee as she went about her business of running the Narrows. After the nasty business with Oswald and the block of ice, Riddler was loath to trust any new ally. Hell, the only reason he had trusted Lee up until this point was because his logic was tainted by Ed’s poisonous emotions.

Poor, little lovesick Ed. Honestly, the Riddler thought that the whole ‘hallucinating Oswald’ thing last year would’ve cleared up any of his other half’s illusions about his relationship and romantic issues. Evidently it hadn’t.

It was frustrating, always having to dangle that crimson key just out of Ed’s grasp. But... Riddler knew the stakes if Ed learned the truth before he was ready to hear it. The results of a misstep like that could be catastrophic to the both of them. That was a risk Riddler couldn’t take, not with his own existence on the line. 

He had lurked in the shadows of this situation long enough. He needed to confront Lee and figure out where she stood on their relationship. Riddler tucked the object into his palm, relaxing his arms by his sides. He shook out the sleeves of his signature green suit gently. The Doc was many things, but she wasn’t stupid. He had to seem like he posed her no threat. Riddler had to take Ed’s advice and relax, for once. He raised his voice to address the blue-clad queen, keeping it level and calm.

“Seems Jeremiah made good on his threat, and I take it that means you’re not leaving.” Lee scoffed quietly, listening to the chaos in the streets below. The Valeska twins were experts at causing mass panic, it seemed, though Riddler found himself a bit at odds with Jeremiah’s cold detachment from his crimes. There was no joy in his terrorizing of Gotham, no panache. Jerome had all of the delight that Riddler found when he was able to perform his crimes. Jeremiah was like a lizard, cold blooded and boring.

“How can I?” she asked him sadly. “They need me more than ever now. No one will help them but me.” Riddler stepped forward, calculating her response to his question before she even gave it.

“So what does that mean for us?” He stopped, looking up at her. Lee was silhouetted by the pale light coming in from the windows. For once, Riddler did see the queen the impoverished people saw. Lee looked at the man who was formerly her partner in crime with something that was almost regret.

“Ed, this is the end of the road for us.” He felt Ed’s anguish rise. The most recent woman in his life was rejecting him, again. 

The Riddler personality felt giddy. He had been correct after all. Lee could never be with them. She was too good. Yes, there was a darkness to her, but she used her darkness to be strong for others like the do-gooder doctor she had once been. 

Riddler snapped open the switchblade he had hidden behind his back. So it was going to end this way. It would be better to kill the Doc, as much as it saddened him. She was useful. It was really too bad that she had to die, but Riddler was doing this for Ed.

“All this time, I’ve been calling the other Ed stupid. And I’m the idiot,” Riddler grinned. Lee looked away. The verdant villain advanced, thumb caressing the cold steel of his blade. That part of him that relished the kill was growing stronger, but he couldn’t let Lee in on his plan. He needed to continue monologuing to put her off of the scent. “You were never going to leave with me. You just wanted to save Jim Gordon.” Riddler had reached the edge of Lee’s dais now, stepping up to join her by her desk. She scoffed again, still facing away from him.

“You and Jim aren’t so different. You both think you know me. You both want to change me. Neither one of you really sees me.” As Riddler reached her, Lee spun around and plunged a small knife into his stomach. White hot pain exploded across his abdomen, and Riddler gasped as the blade cut through his flesh. Blood soaked his shirt as the damage really set in. He hadn’t planned for this. Riddler’s switchblade went tumbling through his fingers as he gasped in pain and shock. She had really done it. Lee had stabbed him. Tried to kill him. It had been a mistake to underestimate her. One of Lee’s silver-gloved hands came up to hold Ed’s face, the other still held the knife deep in his stomach. Ed grabbed onto her, desperate for stability. Isabella’s face flashed in his mind. He had held onto her, too.

“For what it’s worth, Ed,” Lee told him. “I was offering you something real. But I was never going to be who you wanted.” She smiled. “Sooner or later you were just going to kill me. It’s just what you do.” Her hand slid off of the Riddler’s cheek as she stepped past him.

“It’s quite possible,” he growled through gritted teeth. He pulled on her arm, pulling the knife from his own stomach and plunging it into Lee’s. She groaned as the blade cut deep. Ed’s consciousness surfaces for a moment, flooding the Riddler with intense emotion. “But you’re wrong, Lee. I do see you.”

She looked up at him. He could see the acceptance in her eyes. They were going to die, nothing would change that. Riddler leaned down and kissed her goodbye for as long as he could before his legs gave out and he collapsed with a groan. Lee followed not far behind, leaning against her desk as the life drained from them.

How strange it was to die. Ed was fading rapidly, inciting panic in his darker half. Eddie’s emotional turmoil had to wait. That room would die with them: it was now or never. 

“Quiet, Ed. There’s nothing we can do to change this now,” Riddler murmured under his breath in case Lee was still conscious.

_But I loved her,_ Ed protested. _This wasn’t supposed to happen._ Laughing hurt, but Riddler chuckled anyway.

“I can be blind, I can be powerful, I can be difficult, deep, complicated, and tender at the same time. What am I?” 

_We’re dying, and you want me to answer a riddle?_ Ed was incredulous. Riddler bit back the harsh retort that rose on his tongue. There was no point in that now.

“The answer is love. You didn’t love Lee just like you didn’t love Isabella or Kristen. You couldn’t have.”

_What are you talking about? Of course I loved them!_ Riddler rolled his eyes. Could Ed seriously be this stupid?

“Poor little Eddie can’t see what’s been in front of him for years. Did you ever wonder what was locked away in the back room of your mind? What I’ve been hiding until you were ready to see for yourself? It’s not hard to lock something away. We do it all of the time. But time is running out, Ed. You have to go there. Take the key and discover the truth.” The key was small and stained red with blood. Ed had the answers now. All he needed to do was unlock the door.

 

Edward Nygma died with a look of relief washed over his face. Lee Thompkins drew her last breath not three feet away from him, curled at the base of her desk. Penguin’s men found them not long after, bringing them to the old Falcone manor. Oswald Cobblepot was not going to let the Riddler get off that easily. He gave Dr. Hugo Strange the corpses of his best friend and Lee with one simple command: fix them.


	4. Oswald

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed wakes up in a strange place, unsure of how he was resurrected. He searches for the person who brought him back to life, leading to a final confrontation with the person who saved his life: Oswald Cobblepot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this! I appreciate all of your support. As always, kudos and comments are my lifeblood.

Edward Nygma was warm and floating in the place between waking and sleeping. For the first time in years he felt safe and at peace. A content sigh escaped him. 

Wait. That meant-

Ed’s eyes flew open abruptly, absorbing his surroundings. The ceiling above his head was wood, carved with intricate patterns. He bolted upright, panic and confusion setting in. He was in a bedroom, and a fancy one at that. The sheets were of the highest quality silk, and the robe draped around Ed’s shoulders was heavy and warm.

His fingers found his stomach, brushing over the bandages wound around his middle. It was clearly done by someone who knew what they were doing. This wasn’t an amateur patch up. And no blood had seeped through, meaning someone had changed them recently.

Ed swung his legs out of bed, wincing as the movement tugged on the wound in his abdomen. Someone had laid out his suit over the chaise longue across the room. The shirt was new, unsurprisingly. The old one would've been ruined by the blood. Once he was dressed, Ed creeped his way down the hallway, apprehension seeping into his mind.

It was equally as opulent as the bedroom he woke up in. The house must’ve owned by one of Gotham’s richest families. Ed shambled down the hallway, hand on the wall for support. He had no idea how long he had been dead for, but judging by his growling stomach, it had been at least a day. Ed found a staircase and slowly made his way down to the floor below.

Firelight was coming from one of the doorways. Inching painfully along, Ed steeled himself to face whoever saved his life. As he made his way to the doorway, his rescuer occupied a tall-backed armchair facing the fire. A bulldog was on a cushion near the fire, snuffling happily in the warmth. Ed leaned against the doorframe.

“You’re finally awake,” Oswald Cobblepot remarked, still facing the crackling flames.Ed gaped at him, astounded.

“Oswald? You’re the one who saved me?” The dapper kingpin didn’t reply, reaching down to pat the dog’s head.

“Who else did you expect to save you?” Oswald snorted. Ed tripped his way into the room, barely making it to the other armchair before his legs gave out underneath him. The Penguin looked different. The purples that populated his wardrobe had turned to rich crimsons. He looked good, clearly thriving in the aftermath of Jeremiah Valeska’s attack on Gotham. Images of Lee Thompkins flashed through his head. 

“But how? I was dead. Lee–”

“Hugo Strange. He was kind enough to bring you both back.” Oswald knocked back the rest of his whiskey, setting the glass down and turning to look at the man next to him. “I couldn’t leave you in the Narrows. Not after all of the chaos erupted in the wake of the bombings.” His sincere reply brought back memories the last time they had stood on the infamous docks. _Trust is so hard to find in Gotham. But I trust you, Ed._

“Why did you do it, Oswald? Why did you go to the Narrows and bring me, bring us back to life?” Oswald sighed, the fire flickering in the reflection of his eyes.

“Because after everything that happened I needed someone I could trust. Yes, you betrayed me for Lee. But we’ve forged alliances in unlikely times before, remember? I was hoping it would be like the Court of Owls again. We could make a pact and help each other in this new Gotham. When I found you both there, it didn’t take a genius to see what had happened. Both you and Lee are useful to me. A doctor and the Riddler would help me to stake my claim on my territory.”

"What do you mean, territory?” 

“Gotham has been broken up. Jim Gordon and the GCPD occupy the Green Zone. Fries, Crane, Pike and Ivy all have areas of Gotham they control. My biggest competition is the Sirens, who have now created a male-free territory.” Ed’s mind spun with the new information. He knew it would be bad after Jeremiah’s bombings, but he had no idea that Gotham could be this fractured.

“And how can I help you, Oswald? I’ve given you every reason not to trust me.” He was rewarded with a stare.

“Do you really need to ask that question?” Oswald was incredulous, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “Why I’m still in love with you confounds me sometimes. You’d think I would have learned my lesson years ago.” Ed’s mind screeched to a halt. 

“You’re-what? I don’t-” Memories flashed through his mind. Watching Oswald from across the GCPD. Meeting him for the first time and telling him about how penguins hold their eggs. Finding Oswald in the woods when he was burying Kristen’s body. Nursing him back to health. Mr. Leonard’s murder. Singing together in Ed’s old apartment. Those days made Ed the happiest he’d ever been. Penguin saved him from Arkham, gave him a job and trusted him. Oswald’s face when Ed told him that Oswald could always count on him. Finding out Oswald loved him and the panic he felt in the wake of Isabella’s death. Tricking Oswald. Shooting him at the docks. Taking drugs to see him. 

Oswald came to his rescue on the docks, giving up his revenge for Ed. And Ed betrayed him. Again. And Oswald saved his life. Again. He was sprinting toward the door, key clutched in his hand. The secret room was unlocked, and Ed finally knew its secret.

_Do you get it now?_ Riddler asked. _Do you understand why you’ve ended up here? You couldn’t love any of those women, no matter how much you wanted to. They weren’t the one you trusted with your life, the one who has saved you time and time again. The one who loved you, but doesn’t force you to love him back. The person who has been there for our whole journey. The only person you truly care about in this godforsaken city._

“I’m an idiot,” Ed declared breathlessly. Oswald’s eyebrow quirked up.

“Any particular reason for that statement?” 

“I’ve been fighting for a normal life for all my life. But I never realized why I couldn’t ever find that life I wanted.” Ed leaned across the arm of his chair, nearly pitching himself into Oswald’s lap.   
“My childhood made me lock myself away. I had to believe the lie to survive, but I forgot that it was a lie.”

“Ed, you are making no sense. What is your point?” Oswald jumped when Ed’s hand gripped his shoulder tight. Ed leaned in, trying to close the gap between them. If only the damn chair wasn’t in the way.

“I couldn’t see the truth before, but I do now. When I was dying I realized why I killed Kristen. Why Isabella and Lee had to die.” Ed swallowed, hands shaking. A thousand things were running through his mind. There was fear of course, but it was slowly drowning in hope. 

“Ed, you need to rest. You got up too soon. Let me-” 

“No, Oswald. I need to say this.” Ed slid out of his chair, kneeling on the ground in front of Oswald’s chair. The bulldog grumbled as his territory was invaded, padding to the other side of the fire. Penguin was utterly confused. The Riddler rarely showed this kind of emotion, even to his closest friend. Ed opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. He stared up into Oswald’s eyes, searching their depths for the courage he needed.

“Edward?” Oswald’s soft voice broke through his reverie.

“You said you still love me. Is that true?” Oswald winced and turned his head away.

“Don’t. I can’t hear you mock me for this again.” Ed shook him, grip like iron on Oswald’s arms.

“Is it true, Oswald?” Penguin nodded, tears welling in his eyes. Ed reached up, hands trembling, and gently turned the man’s face back to his own. “I won’t mock you. Oswald, I love-” Ed’s voice broke on his confession, but it was enough. Oswald stared, mouth agape.

“Edward Nygma, you’d better not be lying.” Ed surged up, pulling Oswald’s face to meet his own. They collided painfully, but the kiss gentled. When the Riddler finally pulled away, his eyes were swimming with tears. The words were still just out of reach, trickling out of that room deep in his mind. Ed could only nod tearfully in response to Oswald’s question.

Riddler breathed a sigh of relief inside of Ed’s mind. After years of protecting Ed, his job was done. They could be happy. _Finally._  
Oswald pulled Ed back for another kiss. Neither of them could find the words to express what they needed to say, but there would be time for talking later. For now, they had to make up for lost time.

For the first time in a long time, Edward Nygma was whole.


End file.
